Reja takes up Hajduk challenge

HNK Hajduk Split have appointed Edoardo Reja as the new man in charge of first-team affairs, their third head coach this season.

Third coachReja follows Ante Miše, who resigned after just two league games, and his successor Ivica Kalinić, who has had to take a break from the game after falling ill during Hajduk's 1-0 UEFA Europa League loss to MŠK Žilina. The 63-year-old Italian arrives after almost five years at SSC Napoli, whom he guided to Serie A after consecutive promotions.

'Great honour'Reja was dismissed in March following a 2-0 home defeat by S.S. Lazio and is now looking forward to a new challenge. "After 32 years of working in Italy this is a whole new world for me," the former Cagliari Calcio, Torino FC and Calcio Catania coach said. "It's a great honour to come to such a big club and we want to bring up Hajduk to where they were before." Although only four league games into their domestic campaign, Hajduk are already ten points behind arch-rivals NK Dinamo Zagreb and Reja was quick to manage expectations. "I know that the chairman and all the fans want a championship title, but it will be difficult to do that this season," he continued. "But we will try anyway. Don't expect miracles from me straight away."

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